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House of Representatives yesterday unveiled plans to investigate the $17 billion revenue accrued from sales of crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports to global destinations, but allegedly stolen by foreign companies in connivance with some Nigerians.
The resolution was passed following the adoption of the motion sponsored by Johnson Agbonayinma under urgent matters of national importance. To this end, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, who noted that the crux of the matter was the hiring of a consultant at a huge cost of $5 million, detailing companies that stole the money and the whereabouts of the report, and pledged to set up an ad-hoc committee that would investigate the motion.
Other lawmakers who spoke in favour of the motion including Emmanuel Oghene-Egoh and Adekunle Akinlade called for the recovery of the money and plough back into the economy as part of efforts to cushion the effects of the economic recession.
Agbonayinma, who tasked President Buhari on the need to extend anti-corruption campaign to the oil sector, noted that the last administration had in 2013 held a meeting with global oil companies with a view to finding lasting solution to rampant theft of the country’s crude.
According to Agbonayinma, following resolve from that meeting and at the behest of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Molecular Power Systems (Nigeria) Limited was engaged to provide technical data, records of crude oil and liquefied natural gas lifting in the country, as obtained from the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC), and landing certificates at global destinations to verify possibilities of non-declaration to the Federal government.
“It was discovered that an undeclared crude oil short falls of 57,830,000 of Nigeria crude oil, translating to well over $12 billion to the US, over $3 billion to China and $839,522,600 to Norway.
“These were conclusively ascertained by buyers, bill of lading, arrival dates, destination ports, quantity of crude oil and other documented information,” he said.
Agbonayinma, commenting further, told the House that this was replicated in 51 countries where Nigeria crude oil had been exported. “I am dismayed that the physicalisation policy of the Federal Government, which warrants loading of crude oil from Nigeria to be monitored by the DPR, the Navy, the Customs, Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency has been crippled over the years till date.
“These agencies have majorly lost the capacity to go to offshore locations to witness loading, the machines that monitor loading into vessels were bought, owed and calibrated by the international oil companies without monitoring,” the Edo lawmaker said.
